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Seva: One of the Highest Traditions that We can Embrace

By Darshan Kaur Jessop

"You have to project your purity and piety to uplift and raise people’s consciousness. Reach out. Give them the spirit. Show them there’s a better thing than maya.[1] It’s time for you to serve people, humanity.

Our main job is to be together and inspire each other to reach for the golden light. Let us be one in the oneness of each other; love and reach out, make life happy. I hope you will live this day with these words deep in your heart." -Yogi Bhajan

Service is very powerful but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go deep into the forests of some foreign land, or give your life up to a cause. Many people also feel called to serve within the realms of their normal everyday lives. Yogi Bhajan often spoke of the concept or tradition of seva, selfless service, as the way to integrate service into our daily lives.

"That’s what you are here for. You are here to serve, here to lift, here to grace, here to give hope and action, here to give the very deep love of your soul to all those who are in need."-Yogi Bhajan

Those in need are everywhere and sometimes service is something that happens very subtly; the tangible attributes may not be plainly visibly, yet the service is powerful just the same. Our mindset, our intentions, our devotion, our desire to serve and uplift—these are what make seva one of the highest traditions we can embrace.

Yogi Bhajan also spoke of seva as one of the foundation stones for achieving prosperity in our lives. The first step of prosperity is giving. Giving of ourselves is a mindset, a place of selfless action that actually becomes the preparatory stage for receiving. The selflessness itself releases us from the attachment of expectations, and that, in return, opens the space, allowing for that which can come to us, to come.

During his lifetime, Yogi Bhajan founded 3HO, Sikh Dharma International, and other service organizations to uplift humanity. And he always believed that serving in the smallest ways, over time, would create the largest impact. Through his teachings on Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma, Yogi Bhajan shared tools with people so they could have a chance to heal their inner pain; to find peace in themselves; to find a place in the world; and to have cozy homes and healthy, happy families. It was this commitment to serving the soul of every human in the most humble ways that gave birth to a global movement.

Darshan Kaur Jessop worked for Sikh Dharma International for 11 years, first as the Deputy Chief of Staff and then as the Director of Dasvandh. Her current venues are: Money Girl Consulting, Your Path to Prosperity Courses and Freelance Writing. She is a happy mom, writer, musician, and entrepreneur. She is the co-creator of Aquarian Wisdom Calendars and the Yogi Bhajan Every Day email service. For courses or consultations Darshan Kaur can be contacted at: [email protected]

[1] The illusion by which the world is seen as separate from the ultimate Reality.